U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Lead Republican of the House Armed Services Committees, released a statement following the unveiling of President Biden's FY23 budget request:
"Today, our nation faces grave and unprecedented threats from two near-peer adversaries. In Europe, Putin's bloody campaign in Ukraine risks spilling over into NATO countries and his threats of nuclear warfare only grow more worrisome by the day. In the Pacific, China now has the largest army and navy in the world and they are rapidly expanding their nuclear arsenal. It is no secret that Xi has his sights set on Taiwan and I worry that if we don't act to deter them now that it will be too late to stop the CCP's warpath to hegemony.
"It is critically important that we ensure that our warfighters are equipped to handle these threats – that means we must continue to increase investment in our national defense. Unfortunately, President Biden's FY23 budget has proven to be once again, wholly inadequate. Most importantly, this budget fails to account for the record high inflation that is wreaking havoc on our nation. My colleagues and I were clear with President Biden: our warfighters need a defense budget that is 5% above the rate of inflation.
"Just as I did last year, I will continue to fight to ensure that Congress once again gives our military the funding increase they need in the FY23 NDAA. The defense of our nation is critical – we cannot afford to shortchange our national security when the stakes are this high."
